Table of Contents. 1. Introduction

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2 Copyright 2017 All rights reserved. This document is geared toward providing exact and reliable information in regard to the topic and issue covered. The publication is sold with the idea that the publisher is not required to render accounting, officially permitted, or otherwise, qualified services. If advice is necessary, legal or professional, a practiced individual in the profession should be ordered. -From a Declaration of Principles which was accepted and approved equally by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations. In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. The information provided herein is stated to be truthful and consistent, in that any liability, in terms of inattention or otherwise, by any usage or abuse of any policies, processes, or directions contained within is the solitary and utter responsibility of the recipient reader. Under no circumstances will any legal responsibility or blame be held against the publisher for any reparation, damages, or monetary loss due to the information herein, either directly or indirectly. Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher. The information herein is offered for informational purposes solely, and is universal as so. The presentation of the information is without contract or any type of guarantee assurance. The trademarks that are used are without any consent, and the publication of the trademark is without permission or backing by the trademark owner. All trademarks and brands within this book are for clarifying purposes only and are owned by the owners themselves, not affiliated with this document. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Types of Water Filters 2.1. Water Filtration Methods 2.2. Water Filter Types 2.3. What to Consider Before Buying a Water Filter 3. Particularities of Water Filter Pitchers 3.1. Tips for Using a Water Filter Pitcher Don t Recycle Filters Mind Your Water Source Don t Overuse Filters

3 Test Your Water for Contamination 4. Impurities That can be Found in Tap Water 4.1. Chemicals, Heavy Metals, and Hard Water Chlorine Lead Calcium and Magnesium 4.2. The Downsides of Drinking Bottled Water 5. Conclusion 1. Introduction 3

4 Everyone knows that water is essential to life; to all forms of life, not just human life. Without water, Earth would be just another barren world, populated only by microorganisms. Since the beginning of time, man has used water for drinking, cleaning, and washing. While water has been used since forever, it can still be a hosting environment for dangerous bacteria, chemicals, and impurities. These impurities can have a number of effects on the human body, causing symptoms that range from mild discomfort to kidney stones and even brain damage. Water filters are one of those things that can make anyone s life better with minimal effort. They come in different sizes and shapes, all working towards the same goal crystal clear, good tasting, pure water. These filters come at different prices, ranging from inexpensive to heavy duty, but all completing one basic task. While bottled is an alternative to tap water, it does have its negative effects. These negative effects can be more harmful to the consumer than unfiltered tap water. 2. Types of Water Filters 4

5 Water must be filtered before drinking. Luckily, municipalities usually take the first and most essential steps towards this goal. Municipal water filtering is one of the most efficient ways of delivering drinkable water to the vast majority of the area s population. There are rural areas or underdeveloped countries that don t have access to these services, where a lot of problems associated with unfiltered water consumption occur. Using chlorine and other chemicals to kill microorganisms and bacteria has proven to be very successful in the past. This is a somewhat newer method, with around 100 years of practice. During this time, diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever have become virtually eradicated, since water was the main way of spreading these dangerous bacteria and viruses. While water chlorination is a proven method of reducing most of the hazards associated with contaminated water consumption, it is, by no means, bulletproof. Chlorine does have several negative effects on the body, which will be discussed in due time. Because of this, third parties have developed home water filtrations systems that are both efficient and inexpensive Water Filtration Methods Distillation is one of the older methods of purifying liquids in general, not just water. For those that are not familiar with the concept, distillation is used to produce vapors which later become liquid. The liquid is boiled in a recipient that s connected to a series of tubes. These tubes are connected to a form of cooling. Usually, these are recipients that have cool water running through the main chamber, the vapors being transported through a spiral tubing that s placed in the middle of the cooled container. When the vapors come in contact with the cooled recipient, they slowly turn into drops of clean water. That water drips in a containment recipient and will be ready for consumption. While this method kills virtually all bacteria and eliminates the heavy metal concentration from the liquid, it also transports harmful pesticides and chemicals with a similar boiling point to the containment recipient. 5

6 Additionally, it s an overall inefficient way of purifying water, mainly because it requires high amounts of energy to produce a small amount of filtrated liquid. In essence, it is both obsolete and impractical. Ion Exchange is another method that s being used to purify water. Ion exchange is a bit tougher to describe, as it involves a fair amount of chemistry. Basically, it s best used for what is generally described as hard water. Hard water is rich in calcium and magnesium, mostly from underground deposits. These two chemicals can lead to serious conditions, like kidney stones. Kidney stones can be eliminated naturally, which can get very painful, or surgically, which can get very expensive. Ion exchange is based on a charge. The device used is called a cartridge and is filled with something called resin. The resin is designed to contain the calcium by replacing it with sodium, softening the water. While they re particularly good for eliminating hard elements, cartridges lack other features that might enable the water to be safer to drink. Carbon absorption is one of the more accessible methods of filtrating water. Active carbon comes in the form of a filter, with millions of pores that occur after being treated with heat. These pores help in separating the water from chlorine, improving its odor and taste. Although this is an efficient method of eliminating this type of contamination, carbon absorption doesn t separate the water from heavy metals. 6

7 Ultraviolet radiation is another method of purifying water. UV lamps are very efficient in killing bacteria that pass other purification processes, such as water chlorination. More recently, UV lamps have become more accessible and widespread, but are not that great for consumers. They re rather inefficient for purifying tap water since they must be part of a bigger system to achieve optimal results. Ultrafiltration is a filter based system. The filters are very porous, although the pores themselves are very small, ensuring that the water will be separated from even the smallest particles. This method of filtration is one of the most efficient, both in energy consumption and water quality. The materials are re-generable and sustainable. The filters are each rated for different particle sizes, so a combination will result in the clearest, purest water. 7

8 2.2. Water Filter Types Tap Filters Tap filters are probably the most widespread instruments used by consumers to filtrate water. They re usually based on charcoal absorption, which will effectively remove a large quantity of chloride from the liquid, improving its color, taste, and smell. Although they re relatively cheap, high water pressure will reduce their efficiency, as the charcoal will have less time to absorb the impurities. Water Filter Pitchers Filter pitchers are an inexpensive way of filtering water. They function similarly to the tap filters by using carbon absorption. Unlike the tap filters, they also feature higher density fabric, allowing the water to undergo a more extensive filtration process. Gravity is the name of the game when it comes to pitchers, and the lack of pressure will allow the separation to be more effective. Another great feature of the water filter pitchers is their size they come in small packages and can be transported. They re great for students or travelers, something that can be a very valuable asset for the right person. They also fit in refrigerators, which is great for storing a cool, clear drink. 8

9 Water Purification Device Purification devices usually fall into the electronic appliance category. They require electricity to function and are considerably more expensive than the previously mentioned methods. Basically, these alter the chemical composition of the water through various processes. The devices use a front panel through which the user inputs his filtration method of choice. They change both the alkaline and ph levels of the water, as well as contain an ion exchange cartridge. While they re undoubtedly useful, they re incredibly expensive. Whether or not they re worth it, it s up to each individual user; from a value point of view, they might be the worse deal on the whole list What to Consider Before Buying a Water Filter When a consumer is trying to decide on a water filter, certain questions must be raised. More often than not, the price will be the biggest factor to consider. While that s understandable, their functionality is also very important. The user must know the extent to which filters work. For example, tap filters might seem like they re efficient. That s not true, mainly due to the high water pressure reducing the effectiveness of the charcoal filter. It s simply not effective enough to keep up with high volume outputs. Water purifiers are another bad investment. They re extremely expensive and, since most people spend most of their weekdays at the office, they re not going to provide a good return of investment. While they re very efficient at filtering water, they re just too expensive for what they re offering. Water filter pitchers bring a lot to the table when it comes to purification. They have potent filters that remove up to 80% of impurities. While they re not particularly good at separating bacteria from the water, chloride is more than capable of doing that. Since the water already comes bacteria free, removing the chloride, calcium and heavy metals is an easy job for this type of filtration device. They also have a lot of advantages, which you can read more on here and here. 9

10 3. Particularities ofwater Filter Pitchers The water filter pitcher is, for most people, the best value purchase when it comes to water filters. It s a proper filtration device that comes at a fraction of the cost of higher-end products. While it s very useful, it does have some drawbacks, such as: Low amount of water storage Slow filtration Doesn t get rid of all the impurities and bacteria Requires constant maintenance and filter swapping While these drawbacks are real and should concern potential customers, the benefits really outweigh them. After undergoing the filtration process, up to 80% of chloride and impurities get separated by 10

11 the filters. This significantly reduces harmful effects that these chemicals have over the consumer s health since the remaining residues actually become negligible. Another plus to these filters is that they come in several versions, changing the way that they filter the water. For instance, some products can affect the acidity of the water for the better, reducing ph levels and acid reflux. In addition to coming in different versions, they always come in a small package, making them valuable for students, hikers, and campers Tips for Using a Water Filter Pitcher Don t Recycle Filters In the effort of saving a few bucks, some people resort to recycling filters. This is one of the biggest ways of reducing the efficiency of water filters, as they become less capable of separating the liquid from impurities and bacteria. Filters are not recyclable and must constantly be swapped with fresh ones. Mind Your Water Source One of the best tips that consumers must have is to mind the water source. While filtering tap water is a breeze, since it s been purified by the municipality. Outdoor sources can be tricky since they have a lot of active bacteria. Basically, the purer the water is, the better the results this will offer. While the information might redundant, people must be aware of the dangers of consuming contaminated water. Don t Overuse Filters As with anything, filters have a lifespan. They absorb impurities until they become clogged, basically. At this point, not only will water filtration take even longer, but it will also become very ineffective 11

12 since most dangerous chemicals will pass right through. Proper maintenance is a must if the user has chosen to follow a healthy lifestyle. This is generally good advice and can be applied to more scenarios. Test Your Water for Contamination There are various methods for testing one s water supply for different types of contamination. This information will help the user in choosing the perfect water filter. As previously stated, different filters have better results with different types of contamination. Haziness, for example, is a sign of hard water. Hard water is water that has a high concentration of minerals (magnesium and calcium). These two minerals can be dangerous in high quantities, as they can build up in the kidneys and lead to stones which are painful or expensive to remove. 12

13 Bad taste and odor can be an indicator of high chlorine concentration, which can also be remedied by using a water filter pitcher. This will improve the consumer s quality of life, as water is one of life s essential elements. 4. Impurities That can be Found in Tap Water One of, if not the, most significant reason to opt for a water filter, pitcher or otherwise, is getting rid of impurities. There s a number of chemicals that have harmful impacts on the body and overall health of people that drink unfiltered tap water for long periods of time. 13

14 4.1. Chemicals, Heavy Metals, and Hard Water Chlorine Chlorine, for better or worse, is a chemical used for water chlorination. This is a process that kills waterborne diseases and bacteria. Cholera, for instance, is a disease that can be spread through untreated tap water. While chlorine has been proven to be more beneficial than harmful, since disease outbreaks are a thing of the past in most of the civilized world, it can still have harmful effects. According to a study published by the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, chlorine can contribute to the development of food allergies in certain individuals. This is rather interesting since there s been an increase of food allergies at a worldwide level. While the extent to which chlorine is harmful in this case isn t clear, a correlation between it and food allergies have been made. Another negative effect of chlorine water is that it isn t 100% effective in killing disease-causing bacteria. E. Coli viruses, for instance, have been present in chlorinated water on occasion. E. Coli can cause a number of symptoms that range from headaches, stomach cramps, digestive issues, and nausea. Additionally, if untreated, it can become deadly. While this is possible, it s important to mention that it s very unlikely to happen. 14

15 Chlorine is also linked to several cancers and skin afflictions, although mainly from skin exposure, not worth mentioning in this particular case. In addition to its harmful effects, chlorinated water can also be disgusting to drink at times, when the water is very foggy and has a strong chemical taste and smell. All of these problems can be solved by using a water filter pitcher. Lead Lead is another chemical that finds its way into tap water. Since water can sometimes have corrosive properties, it eats away at the distribution pipes. Sometimes, lead debris will find its way into the stream, exceeding the safe amount that s recommended for drinkable water (.25% of the composition). While healthy adults are relatively immune to the effects that lead has over the body, children, people with pre-existing conditions and pregnant women are not. Lead exposure of any kind can have a very negative impact on the development of infants. 20% of lead-exposure in children comes from tap water. The list of harmful effects it can have over children 15

16 is not only terrifying, but also quite large. Light or moderate exposure can lead to serious symptoms. In addition to inhibited growth, these levels of exposure can also lead to hearing disabilities and flulike symptoms. Higher levels of lead exposure can lead to potentially life-threatening effects, with organ failure and severe brain damage being the most likely. Older houses, especially those built before the 1930 s, might have their pipes built using lead. Additionally, lead has also been used in paint, so homeowners must be aware of the risks of lead exposure and learn how to avoid it. One of the most serious effects of lead poisoning is that, unlike other chemicals, lead builds up in both the blood and the bones. In the bones, it can accumulate and last for decades to come. Calcium and Magnesium Water supplies can be broken down into two major categories: hard and soft water. While the names are a bit confusing, they refer to the calcium and magnesium amounts that can be found in the respective water supply. This is a tricky subject to discuss, as they have both positive and negative aspects. For starters, numerous studies have found a correlation between soft water municipalities and an increased risk of heart disease. This is mainly due to the lack of minerals present in the respective supply, leading to a more unbalanced organism. Additionally, soft water also contains more sodium, a chemical used to dissolve the calcium. That being said, sodium is also tied to heart disease. Though the studies are controversial, it s important to mention that calcium is directly linked to kidney stones. Kidney stones are mineral deposits that accumulate in large periods of time that can be even life-threatening. People with a family history of developing kidney stones are obviously advised to filter the water of this type of impurity. It s also important to mention that kidney stones might reoccur from increased calcium exposure. 16

17 4.2. The Downsides of Drinking Bottled Water In most countries, bottled water is, ironically, more harmful to the consumer than tap water. The reason behind this is that manufacturers don t go through the same regulations as state municipalities. For example, in a recent scandal, Nestlé was accused of selling filtered tap water labeled as Natural Spring Water. The spring that was registered as Nestlé s source was dry for the better part of the past century, drawing a lot of attention to the lack of regulations on this particular market. Coming in plastic bottles (or most of them, at least), bottled water is contributing to the harming of the environment. Plastic is an unsustainable resource, a lot of efforts being made to change that. 17

18 5. Conclusion Water is essential to life, that s a fact. Having a constant supply of pure, drinkable water is a must. Water filter pitchers are an inexpensive way of having this constant supply, but they require a bit of getting used to. As a healthy adult, the recommended daily water intake ranges between two and three liters, depending on the consumer s size. This means that an effort to constantly filter water must be made. Pitchers are slow, yes, but they re effective at removing most of the impurities present in tap water, including lead and other heavy metals. These are chemicals that build up in the body and could result in life-threatening conditions. The investment is worth it for almost anyone that s using the city s water distribution service. There s nothing worth more than one s health, and this is an additional step in living a healthy life with a balanced diet. It all boils down to this: users must determine what type of contamination is present in their water supply and shop according to their specific needs. This will certainly help them in avoiding 18

19 unnecessary pain and health issues, provided that they follow the recommendations made throughout this ebook. 19